As planned by Jeremy Strup and other friends of noted engine builder Brad Smith, who died in late 2013 during a high-speed boating accident, the restoration of Smith's 20-foot-long, 1987 Liberator sportboat with a picklefork hull began in September with dismantling of the vintage aquatic hot rod. Now the project is moving on to it next stage. Separate parts of the boat currently are headed to several vendors including FiberTek in Grove, Okla., which will handle restoring and painting the hull. The boat's 200-hp outboard engine is being torn down and rebuilt by Top Gun Marine in Nixa, Mo., according to Strup.
With its soon-to-be-rebuilt 200-hp outboard engine removed, Brad Smith's 1987 Liberator sportboat is ready for its makeover.